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Texas football’s Steve Sarkisian eyes rich recruiting opportunities in Louisiana in 2026

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Texas football’s Steve Sarkisian eyes rich recruiting opportunities in Louisiana in 2026


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NEW ORLEANS — Steve Sarkisian hadn’t been on Louisiana soil more than 10 minutes Wednesday before the Texas football coach made his best recruiting pitch.

After all, he knows fertile recruiting territory when he sees it.

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Does quarterback Major Applewhite ring a bell? The Baton Rouge, La., product set eight school records at Texas and threw for 8,353 yards in his career. Defensive end Malcolm Roach also came to Austin via Baton Rouge. Other Louisiana Longhorns include tight ends Stephen Clark and Derek Lewis and defensive tackle Stevie Lee.

When Sarkisian was asked if he considers New Orleans and its surrounding area almost a second home, he picked up the ball and ran with it.

“I just think the natural proximity helps us,” Sarkisian said inside a terminal at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport after he and the Longhorns arrived on a plane bearing a Longhorns flag outside the cockpit late in the afternoon. “We joke sometimes on our staff that we never know where East Texas ends and Louisiana begins. So from a proximity standpoint, it’s very natural for us to recruit Louisiana.”

Obviously, the Longhorns lured one of the state’s favorite sons to Austin when they signed quarterback Arch Manning, one of the biggest plums in school history.

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More: Meet Texas’ newest superfan, Bevo Hat Guy

But Manning is just one of eight Louisianans on the Texas roster. Edge rusher Barryn Sorrell, the most prominent Louisiana player who’s currently starting for the Longhorns, is one of five from the state wearing burnt orange against Washington in Monday’s Sugar Bowl. Defensive back Derek Williams Jr., who’s suspended for the first half of the Sugar Bowl for a targeting violation in the Big 12 championship game, played his high school ball in New Iberia and rising star edge rusher J’Mond Tapp is from Donaldsville.

Plus, defensive lineman Melvin Hills, a three-star prospect from Lafayette, is part of Sarkisian’s latest national recruiting class, which stands at No. 3 heading into February’s national signing day, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

More: It’s a girl! Bevo XV has a new baby sister with one sweet name

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Three of the top 10 players in the 2026 recruiting cycle hail from Louisiana, all five-star prospects: offensive tackle Lamar Brown (No. 3 overall nationally), defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart (No. 4) and safety Blaine Bradford (No. 10).

And Texas gets a great chance to impress them — Stewart is from New Orleans, the other two from nearby Baton Rouge — with a strong performance in this College Football Playoff semifinal game Monday night.

“We have a couple of coaches on staff who do a heck of a job recruiting the state,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve been fortunate to sign some really good players that are really good on our team right now, and hopefully that can continue. We know that this state produces a ton of talent. And so for us to be able to make some inroads here recruiting, it’s a natural.”



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Louisiana

Louisiana ranks 50th in the nation for healthy diets. See national data.

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Louisiana ranks 50th in the nation for healthy diets. See national data.


Over the past several decades, the health of the average American has steadily declined, marked by rising rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

A cultural shift toward healthier lifestyles is gaining momentum. However, diet and the associated health outcomes vary significantly by region, reflecting broader cultural, economic, and demographic differences across the country.

Louisiana ranks 50th in the nation for healthy diets.



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To determine the states with the healthiest diets, researchers at Trace One, a company specializing in software for the food and beverage industry, created a “healthy diet index” score based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Daily fruit consumption (higher is better)
  • Daily vegetable consumption (higher is better)
  • Number of adults who either don’t drink alcohol or drink moderately (higher is better)
  • Number of adults who drink sugar-sweetened beverages daily (lower is better)
  • Food insecurity rates(lower is better)
  • Overweight or obesity rates (lower is better)
  • Number of adults with a history of diabetes (lower is better)
  • Prevalence of adults with high cholesterol (lower is better)
  • Prevalence of adults with high blood pressure (lower is better)
  • Number of adults with a history of coronary heart disease or heart attack (lower is better)

Utah ranks as having the healthiest diet with a 84.2 health diet index score followed by Colorado (81.4), Washington (78.8), Minnesota (76) and Vermont (75). 

South Carolina ranks 46th in the nation with a health diet index score of 24 followed by Alabama (21.6), Mississippi (17.2) and Arkansas (17.0). 

Louisiana has the least healthy diet with a health diet index score of 8.4. Louisiana is the only state to score below 10. 

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Louisiana Tech University set for several renovations

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Louisiana Tech University set for several renovations


RUSTON, La. (KNOE) – Louisiana Tech University’s enrollment numbers have increased and several areas on campus are set to be renovated as a result.

University President Jim Henderson says he is excited for what’s to come.

With the Athletics Academic Success Center, Henderson says there is a need for student-athletes to have their own space in order for them to be successful.

“Student athletes have so many pressures in their studies. We request so much from them, so this is a center that’s designed specifically to support their academic pursuits. We want our student-athletes to be successful on the field. Most importantly, we want them to be successful in the classroom. Then they get that Louisiana Tech degree that just gives them self-control over their future.”

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President Henderson says that these renovations were made possible by a law that allowed schools to get money from maintenance work without going through the annual legislative process. Since the law was put into place, there were too many projects for the amount of money available so maintenance on George T. Madison was halted. Henderson says maintenance should be up and running soon.

“Reimagine the space in a building that virtually every student that attends Louisiana Tech will take a class in,” said Henderson.

With enrollment numbers rising, President Henderson says that more parking is expected to be available to combat this and he says he’s excited for all improvements so Louisiana Tech’s students can thrive.

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Tributes pour in for Louisiana cultural icon. Who was Pableaux Johnson?

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Tributes pour in for Louisiana cultural icon. Who was Pableaux Johnson?


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Pableaux Johnson died Sunday at the age of 59 on Jan. 26, 2025 after collapsing while he was photographing the Ladies and Men of Unity second-line parade in New Orleans.

Johnson, who was born on Jan. 8, 1966 in New Iberia, was an American writer, photographer, filmmaker, cook and designer based in New Orleans.

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Who was Pableaux Johnson?

Johnson has published four books, predominately about New Orleans culture. Johnson has also written for numerous publications, such as The New York Times, Southern Living, The Kitchn, Saveur, Imbibe and many more.

Johnson’s photography has been exhibited in a number of museums and galleries around the U.S., as well as published in magazines and on websites, and these photographs feature New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians and second-line parades.

Additionally, Johnson ran the Red Beans Road Show for several years, which was a traveling production that brought New Orleans cuisine to various “pop-up” events in restaurants around the country.

Johnson was also credited as a co-producer and still photographer for two companion documentary films about New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians, “The Spirit Leads My Needle: The Big Chiefs of Carnival” and “It’s Your Glory: The Big Queens of Carnival.”

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Louisiana reacts to Pableaux Johnson’s passing

Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com



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